November 2001
Bureaucracy, Finance, Legal, Media, Police, Politics Despite the increased level of security across the city in the wake of the terrorist attacks both at home and abroad, one group seems keen to cause as much disruption as possible. G8 Reprisal, the group believed to be responsible for the disruption to both traffic and power systems in the last month, has continued to raise their profile locally. No one seems quite sure as to why they have chosen to target the city so much, but speculation continues as to their level of involvement with the bomb attacks given the groups none violent standpoint. Meanwhile, the group has continued with a series of high profile “pranks” against various establishments in the city, each designed to cause maximum disruption. Legal, Police, Street Despite a number of leads, Castelan have so far been unsuccessful in locating and arresting Steven Thomas, the head of G8 Reprisal. Thomas has long been a wanted figure by a number of agencies in connection with terrorist actions across Europe. Meanwhile, Castelan have continued to make arrests across the city as part of the nation-wide crackdown on terrorism. However, given the nature of the attacks by his group to date and the high degree of computer knowledge needed, it is feasible that Thomas isn’t even in the country. Bureaucracy, Finance, Legal, Media, Police, Politics The recent events in the city have done little to raise the profile of Sean Bowden whose popularity in office has not lived up to his apparent popularity during the election. Despite Bowden’s climb down over the Castelan issue, it appears that he is still voicing his concerns privately, much to the consternation of other members of the local council. Meanwhile, his party continues to be plagued by leaks, with no new policy or comment able to remain out of the gaze of the media. The only clear statement that can be made at the moment is that Mr. Bowden is having a rougher ride than he initially thought he would at the start of his term in office. Bureaucracy, Finance, Industry, Legal, Media, Occult, Politics, Underworld The state of the city’s economy continues to come under the spotlight, with talks continuing between industrial leaders and union representatives in the hope of minimising any potential job cuts. The local economy continues to fluctuate, with the number of orders received by local companies changing from month to month and the ever-present threat of further terrorist action being taken against their properties. Speculation continues regarding why certain companies seem to always be able to ride out the storm, no matter what the problem and whether they are in any way connected with the mystery group that appears to be meeting at a variety of industrial locations across the city. Church, Health, Media, Police Castelan continue to work closely with both the local health authorities and The Constabulary after a recent report showed that stress levels had risen on the city leading to an increase in domestic violence. Castelan are using the initiative to promote a softer public appearance in an effort to appear more. Indeed, Castelan continue to draw praise for their recent initiatives with the city’s ethnic communities. Finance, Health, Industry, Legal, Politics Despite the lack of funding available for the project, discussions continue regarding the upgrading and modernisation of the local health authority. The exact nature and scale of the project remains unknown, with much of Sean Bowden’s initial plans deemed either unsuitable or too expensive to implement. Discussion has also surrounded which companies will be willing to take the risk of such a project, especially given that MCC are still in legal action against the council for none payment of fees relating to the troubled Hartshill Development Project. Meanwhile, the ageing health system continues to bear the brunt of both matters, with hospitals lacking the necessary number of beds and having to deal with an increased number of psychiatric cases. Health, High Society, Media, Police, Street, University There have been no newly reported cases of the viral outbreak that affected the city’s university populations during the last academic year, much to the relief of all. The source of the outbreak and exact nature of the disease still remain unknown, although given the current fears of bio-chemical warfare, investigations have begun into the possibility that a locally based group may have introduced a foreign pathogen into the student body. Meanwhile local businesses within the entertainment industry are hoping that the returning student body may lead to an upturn in profits. Media, Police, Street, Underworld The local gang war has slowed down since the events of September 11th, with both Sandernacht and the Gambino’s unwilling to draw attention from either Castelan or any of the numerous government controlled agencies believed to be operating in the area. However, the downturn in the number of firearm related crimes has slowed, with the number of firearms being bought into the city rising once again. Church, Occult, Police Nicholas Raymond is now subject to an investigation by Castelan after allegations were made against him that he was trying to form a private army. Why such a prominent local figure would feel the need to develop such a force is unknown, but allegations as to the precise nature of Mr. Raymond’s agenda have been discussed since his appearance in the city twelve months ago. Church, Media Despite the current investigation by Castelan, Nicholas Raymond continues his recruitment of individuals from across a wide range of faiths in the area. In fact, despite the current animosity, Mr. Raymond continues to draw together a wide variety of skills. Still, the rumours persist that certain members of the church are afraid of Mr. Raymond’s growing popularity and that he may pose some threat to them. Meanwhile little is known of Nicholas Raymond’s real plans. Bureaucracy, Finance, Health, Media, Police, Politics, Street, Underworld Work has been completed on much of the outlying sewer systems within the city, with the ageing system being replaced by newer, shallower tunnels. Initial problems regarding the integration of new and old systems were ironed out after consultation with the city’s engineers. Castelan were successful in the sweep of the older system before it was sealed off. Given the rate at which the renewing works seem to be progressing, it seems that at least one element of the city seems to be well funded and working, which raises the question, why are they only working for the sanitation department? Finance, Health, Industry, Media, Occult, Police, Street Another month has passed with no reported sightings of either of the mystery groups believed to be operating in the city, leading to the question of whether Castelan’s targeting of them has been successful or whether they have just got better at hiding their presence? Other, less kind elements in the city have begun to wonder whether instead Castelan have actually become involved in one of the groups, especially given the speculation surrounding their supposed membership. Bureaucracy, Legal, Media, Police, Politics, Street, Transport, Underworld Security remains tight both in and around the city, with both Castelan and The Constabulary working together to implement checks on vehicles. However, whilst security remains tight around official transportation systems, the number of illicit goods coming into the city has risen over the last month. This has lead to rumours of either serious gaps in the city’s security or that Castelan may be turning to secondary groups in order to root out the supposed anarchist group operating in the city. Bureaucracy, Finance, Industry, Politics, Transport Members of the local transport association have begun to devise plans to increase funding after the troubles of late. The exact nature of the plan remains vague at the moment, as well as the manner in which controls will be established to prevent fraudulent claims being made by companies. The question of where the funding for the initiative will come from remains a key element, especially given the current financial standing of the cities coffers. Bureaucracy, Media, Politics The promotion of the city continues as people ask whether the city is really the worst in the country. Local government is keen to promote the positive side of the city in an attempt to draw the focus from the troubled economy and lack of industrial and commercial interest. However, given the presence of terrorist and anarchist groups in the city, this as not been conducive to promoting tourism and all groups involved are finding it difficult to successfully encourage visitors. Police, Street, Underworld Rumours continue that Sandernacht and the Gambino’s may have called a temporary truce. In addition, the lack of directed action being taken against either group by Castelan has led to speculation amongst the smaller gangs that they may be being used in order to find Steven Thomas and his associates. Given the disruption being caused by Thomas’s group to legitimate business across the city, it seems fair to assume that other less savoury businesses may have been affected also. The only difference is that the groups involved may be willing to take more direct action. Bureaucracy, Finance, Health, Industry, Politics, University The local health authority and universities continue to promote Stoke as a major medical teaching centre, with financial incentives being offered in an attempt to lure in students. Both universities are currently in negotiations with a number of pharmaceutical companies in order to secure both training and research facilities. However, the local health authorities have found it harder to make headway, with the current financial and bureaucratic difficulties making it difficult for them to make any kind of commitment at the moment. Industry, Occult, Street, Underworld Further information has begun to filter out regarding the origins of the Gambino’s. After all the speculation regarding their supposed supernatural ties the truth has turned out to be more mundane. It appears that the Gambino’s have old family connections in the city and were amongst the earliest Italian immigrants to settle here during the late nineteenth century. Whilst the truth is not as exciting as originally thought, it may calm some of the fears regarding them. Bureaucracy, Finance, Media, Police, Politics, Street Although it now seems unlikely that any troops from regiments in Staffordshire will be deployed in or around Stoke, security remains tight at military bases in the area for fear of further terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, Castelan have also begun to display signs of their increasing belief in technology as a means of fighting crime, showcasing possible future advances in crime fighting. What this actually means remains to be seen, but given the current stand-off between local government in the shape of Sean Bowden and local law enforcement, it is fair to say that any changes implemented may be in for a rough ride. High Society, Media, Police, Street The local leisure industry was hard hit again when many of the local pubs had their stocks replaced animal urine. So far investigations have not provided any likely culprits, although speculation obviously leads to the involvement of G8 Reprisal. However, actions by the group have so far been confined to computer related crime, which would require contamination at the source. If this proves to be true, given the current threat posed by Bio-Terrorism, it seems likely that security will be raised in production areas in the near future. Finance, High Society, Media, Police Amidst all the recent horrors both in and outside of the city, the six towers at the heart of the Phoenix Project continue to be a success. Whilst attendance figures dropped initially at the start of the month, they quickly picked up again towards the end. Because of the high levels of security surrounding the project from its opening the project has been little affected by the recent troubles, once again leading to allegations that Castelan are only interested in protecting those who can afford it.